The marching-band tribute to video games — and 6 more killer halftime shows

The WeekStaff

The Ohio State University marching band outdoes itself with a tribute to classic video games. YouTube

October 8, 2012

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Though Ohio State's gridiron squad routed the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in a 63-38 win on Saturday, the real stars of the game were the members of the Ohio State marching band. At halftime, the band took to the football field to pay homage to a different kind of conflict — classic video games — and the results will mesmerize anyone who's ever touched a Nintendo controller. Here's the irresistible routine and six other incredible marching band performances:

1.Tribute to video games (Ohio State University)The nine-minute showcase references iconic graphics from a number of popular video games, including Pokemon, Super Mario Brothers, and Halo, but it's a nod to The Legend of Zelda at the 6-minute mark — which sees the marching band take the shape of a galloping horse — that really gets the crowd roaring. (via USA Today)

2. Gangnam Style (University of Oregon)The viral hit by Korean sensation PSY has officially made it onto the football field. In a September routine, Ohio University's duck mascot leaps out of a Port-A-Potty called the "Quack Shack," trailing toilet paper behind him, and leads the college's marching band in a rendition of PSY's now-legendary "horse dance." (via Mashable)

3. Salute to the armed forces (West Virginia University)In this 2011 routine, the WVU marching band pays homage to each branch of the U.S. military, taking the shape of a tank for the Army, a jet for the Air Force, and a submarine for the Navy. As the video ends, an enormous American flag is unrolled to a standing ovation. (via the West Virginia Gazette)

4. Giant stick-figure football player (University of Hawaii)It may not have counted toward the official tally, but the University of Hawaii's marching band scores a particularly memorable kick in this 2010 game. After band-members assume the shape of a massive stick figure, the field-spanning "player" strides nearly 40 yards before booting an oversized football across the field. (via The Huffington Post)

5. Numa Numa dance (Michigan State University)"Gangnam Style" isn't the only viral video to make the leap from YouTube to the football field. In this 2009 stunt, Gary Brolsma — better known as the "Numa Numa Guy" — leads Michigan State's marching band in a mass rendition of his Numa Numa Dance, which has earned nearly 50 million views on YouTube to date. (via Michigan Live)

6. Michael Jackson tribute (Southern University)Just a few months after Michael Jackson's death in June 2009, the marching band at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana offered a halftime tribute that included hits like "Rock With You" and "Thriller." The routine ends, fittingly, when a fedora-sporting dancer emerges from the sidelines and moonwalks across the 50-yard line. (via The New York Times)

7. Nintendo tribute (University of California, Berkeley)The Ohio State marching band isn't the first to bring video games to the gridiron. At this 2007 game, the marching band at the University of California, Berkeley takes the shape of Tetris blocks and Mario bricks — an idea that was clearly worth stealing five years later. (via Gizmodo)